Europe needs a new vision and new goals, and all true Europeans have to defend EU values in campaigning for next year's elections and forming a new governance system afterwards, said Udo Bullmann, the leader of the Social Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament.

Sweden's Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has probably never stood so alone: roasted by the right for leaving the door wide open to asylum-seekers and lambasted by the left for later slamming it shut.

Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who was also the leader of the Social Democrats in her country from 2005 to 2015, made an appearance in Brussels today (11 June) offering her views how the EU should better makes it case globally and improve internally.

S&D President Udo Bullmann called on progressive political forces in Greece to join forces as the “only way to the country’s future” and not turn to a conservative New Democracy government, which has a big responsibility for the crisis.

The Czech ruling ANO party could be days away from agreeing the text of a coalition agreement with the center-left Social Democrats, an ANO official was quoted as saying today (2 May), raising hopes for an end to months of political instability.

A number of socialist MEPs are looking for alternatives to German Udo Bullmann's candidature for the presidency of the group, after Gianni Pittella resigned following his election to the Italian Senate.

A wave of opposition in Central Europe to so-called “gender ideology” has led Bulgaria on 15 February, and then Slovakia yesterday (22 February) to oppose ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.

The Czech centre-left Social Democrats opened talks on forming a government with last year's election winner ANO yesterday (21 February), aiming to break a deadlock that has prevented the formation of a majority coalition.

Austria's main parties agreed to hold an early parliamentary election on 15 October, Chancellor Christian Kern said yesterday (16 May), in a vote that might bring the far-right Freedom Party into government.

In order to revive the European project, the progressive forces must have an ambitious vision that goes beyond an intergovernmental system and implements a genuine Community method, MEPs from the Progressive Caucus alliance write.

Germany's centre-left candidate for Chancellor, Martin Schulz, has criticised US President Donald Trump's policies as "un-American" and warned against lifting sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.

Lithuania's Peasants and Greens Union said yesterday (9 November) it had agreed a deal with the Social Democrats to form a coalition that will focus on reducing inequality in a country where more than a fifth of the population lives below or close to the bread-line.

Croatia's government fell Thursday (17 June) after Prime Minister Tihomir Oreskovic lost a confidence vote in parliament, in a serious blow to the country's nationalist rulers after only five months in power.

Romania's leftist Social Democrats (PSD) won most votes in countrywide local elections yesterday (5 June), according to an exit poll, putting them in a strong position before a parliamentary election later this year.

Austria's embattled chancellor was greeted yesterday (1 May) with loud boos as he addressed around 80,000 people in Vienna on May Day, a week after the government's disastrous defeat at the hands of the far-right in a presidential ballot.